Undercover activist helps thwart sale of baby

Police in Jiangyin city, Jiangsu province, have detained a man who was allegedly helping to close a baby-trafficking deal, according to a statement released on Sunday evening.

The statement said officers received a tipoff from a member of the public at 9:54 am on Sunday and immediately started an investigation.

Officers later detained a 22-year-old man surnamed Su, who has since confessed to having been an intermediary in the baby-trafficking deal.

According to officers, an 18-year-old woman surnamed Li, who works in Jiangyin, gave birth to a son on Oct 6 and decided to give him away because she felt she could not take care of him.

She reportedly asked her brother-in-law to help her find people who might want to adopt her baby by posting adoption information online.

Officers said Su noticed the post and contacted a couple from elsewhere, with plans to close the deal on Saturday evening.

The couple attempting to procure the baby was also detained and the baby was rescued, the statement added.

The case was believed to have been exposed by Shangguan Zhengyi, an anti-trafficking volunteer who was at the scene of the intended transaction.

Jimu News said Shangguan followed Su after Su contacted him online, when he was working undercover as a prospective buyer.

At the scene, Shangguan gathered evidence of the exchange of the baby and money thanks to the help of undercover reporters and flagged the case to the police, according to the report.

Police security departments maintain a "zero tolerance" attitude toward illegal and criminal acts that infringe upon the rights and interests of women and children and will resolutely crack down on such activities in accordance with the law and firmly safeguard the life and safety of women and children, the police statement added.